Trace-fastener.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEXVIS C. BALINGER, OF SHlRLEY-SBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRACE-FASTEN ER.

SPEGLFTGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,575, dated January 21, 1902.

Application filed May Bl. 1901. Serial No. 62,609. (No model.)

adapted to be readily applied to a singletree and capable of enabling a trace to be readily fastened to the same and to be lengthened or shortened without perforating or cutting the same.

A, further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will facilitate hitching and unhitehing and which will enable the same to be quickly performed.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.-

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a trace-fastener constructed'in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig.

, 3 is a detail perspective view of the sleeve or ferrule and the supporting-plate.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a horizontal supporting-plate provided at its inner end with a rigid vertically-disposed jaw 2, from which extends a consists of a tapering plate, has the jaw 6 formed integral with it and arranged Vertically at its inner end. The jaw, which is corrugated, is supported bya longitudinal brac ing rib or flange 10, which tapers from the top of the jaw toward the outer portion of the lever, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The bolt or fastening device 8, which has a threaded upper portion to receive a nut 10', is reduced at its lower portion to provide a shoulder 11, which is arranged at the upper face of the lever, and the lower end of the boltis headed or upset against the lower face of the plate.

The lever is provided between its ends with a perforation. to receive the bolt, and the plate 1 isprovided at its outer end with a perforation 12, located near its front edge, to receive the said bolt. The inner arm of the clamping-lever, which is greater in length than the distance between the pivot and the jaw 2, is adapted to be swung rearward from the latter to enable the trace to be introduced into the device, and the clamping-lever is held in engagement with the trace by means of a spring 13, consisting of an intermediate coil let, and arms 15 and 16. The coil 14 is arranged on the pivot-bolt of the lever, and the arm 15, which ext'endsinward from the bolt, is approximately L-shaped and engages the rear edge of a lug 17 of the clamping-lever. The lug 17 of the clamping-lever is arranged at the inner side of the pivot, adjacent to the latter. The other arm 16 extends rearward from the pivot and is provided at its rear end with an eye 20, arranged on a tapering projection 21, which is formed integral with the plate 1. The resiliency of the spring holds the eye on the tapering projection which extends upward from the back portion of the plate 1. The outer arm of the clamping-lever is providpd witha segmentallip or flange 22, adapted to be engaged by the operator to swing the jaw of the lever outof engagement with the trace.

It will be seen that the device is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it possesses great strength and durability, and that it is adapted to be readily applied to a singletree. It will also be clear that it is capable of engaging a trace at any point without puncturing, cutting, or otherwise injuring the same and that. it facilitates hitch: ing and unhitching and will enable a trace to be temporarily lengthened or shortened.

What I claim is- 1. A device of the class described comprising a horizontal plate provided with means for connecting it to a whifl'letree and having an upright fixed jaw at its inner end, a lever located beyond the jaw and pivoted between its ends to the outer portion of the plate and provided at its inner end with a jaw cooperating with that of the plate, the outer end of the lever being extended beyond the plate to form a handle, and a spring for holding the lug of the latter and connected with the plate, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described comprising a plate provided at its inner portion with a jaw and having a projection at its outer portion, a clamping-lever pivoted to the plate and provided at its inner portion with a jaw, and having alug, and a spring mounted on the pivot of the lever, and engaging the lug and provided with an eye receiving the projection, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS C. BALINGER.

Witnesses:

FRANK I-I. HARRISON, J. BRUCE DAVIS. 

